Glider kite



Feb. l0. 1925. 1,525,921

l c. DA1-IL GLIDER KITE Filed May s, 1925 Patented Feb. l0, 1925.

UNITED STATES recaen PATEN'r OFFICE:

CONRAD DAI-IL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT N. BURTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS` GLIDER KITE,

Application led May 5,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CONRAD DAHL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Glider Kites, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part` thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide auimproved kite construction which shall. be `comparatively simple to produce and which shall have a steadiness and certainty of control not hitherto attained.V It consists of various features and elements of .construction in Vcombination as herein described and shown in the drawings and as indicated by the claims. n

In the drawings#- Figure 1 is a face or bottom plan view showing the under side of the kite.

AI4`igure2 is an end elevation looking in the direction of the arrow, 2, on Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation showing the kite approximately inthe position of Hight.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective vview of certain parts ofthe frame.

Figure 5 is a perspective View illustrating i the assembled relation of the parts shown in Figure 4, K

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken as indicated, at line 6- 6 on Figure 1.

Figure7 .is a detail perspective of a. fas tening tab or lug for the main sail.

InV the construction illustrated the main sail, 1, isY of the conventionalA four-sided shape having its two shorter sides, a., forming an obtuse angle and its two longer sides,

b, forming an acute angle at the opposite end of the sail. The frame structure .on which the sail is mounted comprises a midrib, 2, anda cross-arm, 3, the latter extending for some distance at each end beyond' the lateral corners, c, of the sail, 1. A firm joint between the midsrib, 2, and the crossarm, 3, maybe made at their intersection as indicated in Figures 4 and 5 by forming the cross-arm with a pair of spaced lugs, 4, between which the mid-rib, 2, is lodged with a single lug, 5, extending past one side of the cross-arm, 3,-the assembly being firmly bound in position by a string or wire, 6. In the vicinity of the acute end of the sail, l., lan upstanding postor strut, 7, vrises lfrom the mid-rib, '2, toisupport'a second cross- 1923. Serial No. 636,823.

arm 8, which is equal in length to the arm, 3, and extends parallel to it in a plane above that of the main sail, 1. Stretched between the endportions of the arms, 3 and 8, are a pair of inclined wings or elevating planes, 9, whose lateral edges, 10, are re-enforced posed by the tension of guys, 12, which ex! tend from the arm, 8, at the rear inner corners of the wings, 9, to a point on the rear wardly extending mid-rib, 2, nearv its end.

Substantially at the point on the mid-rib, 2, at which the guys 12, are anchored, a second strut or upright 13, rises from the mid-rib preferably to a height about equal to that of the strut, 7, for supporting a short cross-arm, 14, which is laterally stayed by. guys, 15. 'Triangular tail planes, 16, diverge upwardly from the mid-rib, 2, forming an upwardly open V-shaped body which extends from the rear corner or apex of the inain sail, 1, to the cross-arm, 14, the oblique edges, 17, of the plane, 16, being preferably re-enforced and folded upon strings, 18, which are secured to the crossarm, 14, as indicated in Figure 3. The strut, 13, is thus held upright by the tension in the strings, 18, balanced by rearward and downwardly trending guys, 19, which converge at a screweye, 20, near the extreme end of the mid-rib, Similarly the strings, 18, may be attached to a screweye, 21, in the lower side of the rib, 2. The string, 22, by which the kite is held in flight branches at a point 23, below the main sail, 1, one line, 24, extending to the screweye, 21, and av short line, 25, extending at about right angles to the middle of an equalizer,

26, from whose kopposite ends the strings, 27, diverge to screweyes, 28, placed in the forward vcross-arm, 3, at equal distances from its mid-point where it joins the rib, 2.

A good method of attaching the main sail, 1, to the frame consists in using gumrned cloth or paper lugs or tabs, 29, like that shown in Figure 7 folded at one end about a cross-arm or stick, 30, about which a string, 31, is tied at the middle. Y The tabs, 29, are glued to the surface of the sail, 1 near its corners with the cross-sticks, 30, outward so the strings, 31, may lead therefrom to screw, eyes, 32, 3,3 and 2,1, for Seulement In the structure as described, it will be seen that I provide a main sail, l, from whose corners @,Ythe wings or*V elevators, 9, rise obliquely for poclieting. the` wind and using its' `torce to impel the kite forward in such a direction that the main sail, l., operates as a gliding plane extending approximately in the direction .ot travel. The V-shaped body 'formed' by the tailplanes, 16, serves to spread the wind Ytoward the elevators, 9, ancLat the saine time to steady the kite laterally so that in flight its motion is smooth and definitely directed without any o'f the pitching and diving which is characteristic of so inany kite structures especially in Va strong wind. Another feature which contributes to steadiness and prevents the kite from pitching or diving inV response to sudden gusts of wind is the flexibility of the end portions of the cross-arm, 8, and of the rear portion ot the mid-rile, 2. fis indicated in dotted lines ine Figure 1, theY wings or elevator, 9, being` attached to parts otlthe arm, 8, beyond the guys, 12, will flex the cross-arm as they fill and swell under the wind pressure, the outer edges ot these wings, 9, tend-ing to be more curved than the inner edges as indicated in Figure 3. At the same timegthe tension of the wings, 9, as they are thus curved tends to tip the strut, 7, forward as shown in Figure and this movement of the; parts Ybeing transmitted througlrthe guys, 12, tends to bend up the 'ear end Yportion of the mid-rib, 2, as also indicated in dotted linesV in Figure 3. This flexing and yielding' of the parts in re-VV sponse to the wind pressure exerted against the elevator planes, 9, tends to cushion the' effect of sudden changes in pressure and prevent the kite Jfrom responding bodilythereto with the result that the kite as a whole moves steadily and smoothly and maintains its general position quite definitely at all times. I i

I claim:-

l. In a kite, the combination oifa single main sail and a pair ot elevator planes extending divergently rearward at an acute angle from the plane of said sail at opposite sides of its longitudinal center line, and be yond its lateral edges.

2. In a kite, the combination ot a longitudinal mid-rib, a cross-arm secured thereto, a single main sail lying substantially in the common plane of the mid-rib and cross-arm and a pair of elevator planes each extending from the cross-arm at opposite sides of the mid-rib and diverging rearwardly at an acute angle from the plane of the sail.

3. In a kite, the combination of a longitudinal mid-rib, a cross-arm secured thereto near the forward end, a main sail supported by said mid-rib and cross-arm substantially in the common plane of said parts, a second cross-arm lextending parallel to the first and parallel to the plane of the main sail spaced away from the latteryand an elevator plane stretched between said cross-arms at an acute angle to the plane olf the main sail.

et. In a kite, the combination of a longitudinal 1nid-rib,a cross-arm secured thereto, a main sail supported substantially in the plane ot the mid-rib and cross-arm, a second. cross-arm positioned rearwardly of the first in parallel relation thereto and parallel to the'plane Yoit the main sail' but spaced from the mid-rib, and a pair ot elevator planes extending respectively Afrom the outer end portions ot the first cross-arm to the second cross-arm 'forming acute angles with fthe plane of the main sail. i

In the combination Ydefined in claim 4, a strut supportingl said secondl cross-arm in spaced relation to the mid-rib and.V guys extending` rearwardly from said cross-arm toward the rear end of the mid-rib.`

6. In the combination dened'in claim Il, the second cross-arm being Yflexible and adapted to yieldi at its end portions under tension of the elevator planes.

7. In the combination deiined in claim 4, means supporting said second'cross-arm in spaced relation to the mid-rib with guys extending rearwardly from said cross-arnr att-ached to the rear` portion of the mid-rib, the latter being adapted to flex under tension of the guys in response to the swelling of the elevator planes. 8. In a kite, the combination of a main sail with a mid-rib extended rearwardly beyond the sail, and a` transverse plane supported by said rearwvardly-extending portion of the rib to steady the `kite;Y a strut tip-standing from said rear portion of the mid-rib to support the upper corners of said transverse plane, said plane comprising two dihedrally disposed Ytriangular wing sect-ions with their common edge extending along the mid-rib, and its forward apex substantially adjoining the rear portion oit the main sail. 9. In the combination defined in claim 8, said steadying planes being triangular in form widening rearwardly with a cross-arm and' a strut supporting said cross-arm from the rear portion ot the mid-rib at a distance above the latter for attachment of the upper rea-r corners of said steadying planes thereto and guys extending downward and rearwardly from said cross-'arm to the extreme end portion of the mid-rib. 10. In a kite, the combination of a main sail, a longitudinal. mid-rib and a forward cross-arm supporting said` sail and lying substantially in its plane, the cross-arm having end portions extending beyond the sail, and a pair oit' elevator planesattached to said extending portions of the cross-arm diverging rearwardly at Van acute angle from the plane of the main sail. Y

11. In the combination defined in claim 10, a second cross-arm and means supporting it from the mid-rib in spaced relation thereto and parallel to the first cross-arm, said elevator planes being stretched between the first and second cross-arms.

12. In a. kite, the combination of a main sail, a longitudinal mid-rib and a cross-arm, a holding string branched at a point below the main sail with one branch extending rearwardly for attachment to the mid-rib, the other branch extending forwardly a short distance to a transverse equalizer bar and two strings extending from the ends of said equalizer divergently forward to points of attachment on the cross-arm at opposite sides of the mid-rib.

13. In the combination defined in claim 12, a pair of elevator planes diverging rearwardly at an acute angle from the plane of said main sail at opposite sides of the mid-rib and attached to opposite ends respectively of the cross-arm, means supporting t-he rear ends of said planes at a distance abo-ve the main sail and transverse steadying planes extending upwardly from the mid-rib at a portion thereof which extends rearwardly from the main sail, said first branch of the string being attached to the mid-rib at a point forward of said steadying planes.

CONRAD DAI-IL. 

